Aura Readers: Feathered Chains
by Penchant-for-raising-Cain
Summary: Two recruits emerged one night with the strangest powers - and the strangest attitudes. Life in the Black Order was about to take a new turn. -Maybe Allen x OC & Kanda x OC- ::Trial story::
1. The Usual Greeting

**This is, you could say, a trial. I've got a lot of stories to update (and write!), but this side plot I had been thinking of has been bugging me for months. It is written in third person, but POVs change. There is no beta apart from myself, so forgive any mistakes. I'll be posting two chapters together so that you can have a taste of what these two OCs are like (hopefully not Mary-Sues; if they are, please point it out because I hate creating those sort of characters!)**

**I no own D. Gray man (boo...), but I own my two OCs.**

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* * *

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The Usual Greeting

A faint breeze picked up the girl's blood red hair. Her midnight blue tail coat rustled, displacing her tie. She stood at the foot of a cliff, peering up at the castle on top with sharp green eyes. The girl was called Bryony, and she was going to become an exorcist.

Just before she proceeded to climb, a voice rang out, "Um, excuse me?"

Bryony turned to the speaker. Another girl, clothed in a white dress shirt, a blue corset, sailor's trousers and sea boots emerged from the night. Two lacquered leather scabbards hung from her waist – _katana _and _wakizashi_, Bryony noted. Brown hair with subtle hints of black feathered across her forehead, and the locks spun into bouncy curls, the longest just brushing her shoulder. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, and denoted an Asian, Japanese to be exact, heritage.

A bandanna was wrapped tightly around her head, but that wasn't the strangest thing. A black scar rested on her left eye, starting with a fountain like shape above her eyebrow and finishing as a cross on her cheek. Bryony was taken aback by the scar, and her right eye twitched.

"Do you know where the Black Order's Headquarters are?" She asked politely.

Bryony nodded, and pointed at the castle. "It's up there. I'm heading that way too, and it seems climbing the cliff is the only way to reach it."

"Oh wow, another girl joining as an exorcist!" The girl continued, bowing slightly in acknowledgement, "I heard that there aren't many female exorcists in the Black Order, especially not in the Asian Branch, so I'm glad I'm not the only one!"

Bryony smiled at her comment, but quickly developed a cold, calculating face. She analyzed the treacherous rocks quickly, trying to find a quick and efficient route. She fastened the belt straps of her suitcase around her shoulders, and could hear her new companion do the same. She found her first hold, and hoisted herself up. She paused, twisting her head to see the Japanese girl.

"What's your name?" Bryony asked, mentally cursing that she hadn't asked before.

"Arai Manami, what's yours?" she said.

"Bryony."

Manami looked confused. "Is that it?"

Bryony shared a secret smile with herself.

"Yes, that's it."

* * *

Kanda grimaced at the muffled tones as Lenalee dragged him down to the failure of a welcome party. Please, Kanda didn't even turn up for his own welcome. The bright lights pierced his dark gray eyes, which had become accustomed to the gloominess of his room. He gave a sigh, which could have been mistaken for a growl. Whose bright idea was it to cover everyone in makeup and then trash the place? When a Finder thrust a broom into his hand (and then ran away), he knew the answer. The broom handle snapped – Komui.

Before the Japanese exorcist could inflict a world of hurt on the Supervisor, who had mysteriously vanished, a blaring alarm screamed. Kanda dropped what he was doing, and sprinted to the surveillance room. He was greeted with the scene of Komui doing a coffee spit take right into Reever's face. He ignored the yells of pain coming from the Australian, and strode closer to the screen to hear what the Gatekeeper was blabbering on about now.

"A mysterious presence lurks in them! They must be a spy of the Millennium Earl! A spy!" the giant head screeched.

Kanda's gaze turned on the two figures in front of the Gatekeeper. Two girls? Whatever, they were a threat, and must be exterminated. With Mugen in hand, he started to dart past everyone to the entrance. Not long later, he was met with the snowy haired exorcist, Moyashi. Well, his real name was Allen Walker, but Kanda denied that even in his thoughts.

"Thought you could use a hand, Kanda - there's two of them," he said as they jumped from the roof ledge.

"Che," Kanda scoffed, "Are they Akuma?"

"No, but better safe than sorry, right?" Moyashi replied.

The younger exorcist ripped off the glove on his left arm, and it transformed into a monstrous gun. Kanda invocated his _chokuto_, Mugen. The Innocence laced sword glowed blue, and Kanda locked eyes on his opponent. The girl with the bandanna and the twin swords – a perfect match. He indicated to Moyashi his choice. Moyashi nodded and started to shoot the other girl.

It was about time some action would come to the Order.

* * *

Bryony could not believe it. A spy? She narrowed her eyes, and shot a string of profane thoughts to her idiot brother. She whipped around to see two falling figures in the night sky. Manami stared wide eyed, her fingers inching towards the two scabbards. Bryony touched her twin daggers, making sure that they were still inside the holsters strapped to her legs. Her quick eyes locked onto the approaching enemies, and saw the taller one dart off to the Japanese girl. And that was when the bullets came.

If Bryony had been a second slower, she would have been incinerated by the huge energised bullets. She quickly flipped backwards, her coat sweeping to her side. She noticed three things in succession; number one – his weapon seemed to be his arm, number two – he had hair as white as snow and number three – he had a scar with a pentacle on his left eye. Bryony risked a glance to Manami.

The girl had instantly pulled out the longer sword, the _katana_, to block the _chokuto_ that was aiming for her head. The _chokuto_ had a mysterious blue shine, but it was the wielder that intrigued Bryony. He carried a distinct aura of rage, but it swirled in a way Bryony had never seen before.

Without another thought, she snatched the twin daggers and cleared her mind.

* * *

_Manami, switch partners, now._

Wait, where did that voice come from? Manami gave a couple of looks to the side before she was again engaged with the swordsman. His eyes looked positively murderous, and the blade struck repetitively, without mercy. Manami winced, feeling the strength behind every strike, but stood steady. She tried talking back to the voice.

_Umm, who are you, and how did you get into my mind?_

_I'm the girl fighting next to you, and it's the empathy links between our aura-reading eyes. _

Our eyes? Manami sneaked a look, and was surprised. Bryony-san lifted the crimson fringe which completely covered her right eye to reveal the _exact same scar_. Her attention was then caught by the white haired boy with the huge claw for a left arm. He drove forward to slice Bryony-san, but she expertly deflected the blow with her daggers.

"Oi, don't space out."

Crap, she had completely forgotten about her current opponent. Had her reflexes not been so good, her head would have rolled off. Well, the glowing sword_ was_ inching bit by bit towards her exposed throat. Manami gulped and then attempted to kick him away. The kick was successful, but only for a few seconds. Whilst he started running back, Manami focused her thought to Bryony-san.

_Switch...now._

In an instant, she saw the silver eyes of the younger boy.

* * *

Shorter blade clashed with the longer. The metallic clang resounded through the night air. Their eyes met for the first time, neither showing triumph or mercy, calm or anger – just determination. He pulled back, and swung for another strike. Bryony stood her ground and concentrated. Just as the lethal weapon came to sever her right arm, she ducked and spiralled around. He looked back in surprise and barely missed the dagger aimed at his back. Bryony cursed, and proceeded to try again.

The incessant sparring continued, neither giving way. But the _chokuto_ eventually found a chink in Bryony's defence. It shot towards her neck, eager to spill blood. She brought her two blades up and caught the sword, stopping its path. Their eyes met again, and Bryony could honestly say that she had never seen such ferocious gray eyes. A momentary ceasefire occurred as the pair fought to catch their breath. It was the stupidest time to study one's face, but Bryony did it instinctively. The high cheek bones and eyes betrayed a Japanese nationality. A few seconds later, Bryony could hear Manami shouting about a letter for some reason. He slowly retracted his sword from the daggers' grip, cursing in Japanese.

But before the battle could resume, a different voice spoke out.

"Kanda-kun! Allen-kun! Stop!"

The two guys froze instantly. Bryony sighed inwardly, but kept herself wary. The fight may not be over. Her opponent, presumably named Kanda since that name was Japanese, signalled to the other boy to respond to the voice, not taking his cold eyes off Bryony. It seemed that someone was speaking through a little bat object.

"Miss. Bryony? Could you confirm that your brother is Lavi and your grandfather is Bookman? Lavi just spotted the fight and told me that you were due to come today."

The aura of surprise flared up around the two black-clad boys. Bryony smirked.

"Yes, I can," the mentioned girl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm guessing that he's been ever so busy that he forgot to tell you that I was coming today. Do I have the pleasure of talking to the Supervisor right now?"

"Yes you do. Am I right in thinking that the young lady beside you is Arai?"

Manami sidestepped over, trying to avoid the range of the man's _chokuto_. She spoke to the bat.

"Salutations, Supervisor! I am Arai Manami. Bak-san told me that he had sent a letter of transfer from the Asian Branch to you," she said politely.

A shout was heard across the transmission, followed by a tremendous amount of scuffling. After a dragged out four minutes, someone shouted "I found it!" and the rustling of paper could be heard. The Supervisor's voice came back.

"We found the letter! Please, you two come in!"

The snivelling giant head roared "ENTER!" and the huge gates lifted. The white haired boy relaxed, and returned his left arm to normal. A warm smile spread over his lips. The four of them walked into the castle. He stretched out a gloved hand to shake. Manami didn't hesitate, and shook it, whilst bowing slightly.

"Welcome, Miss. Arai. My name is Allen Walker. Sorry about this, I had a similar experience when I first joined," Allen greeted.

Manami shook her head, and said, "Please, don't call me miss. It's too formal – call me Manami!"

Allen smiled once again; he came over and shook Bryony's hand as well. "I never knew Lavi had a sister. Nice to meet you, Miss. Bryony."

Bryony gave him a mock frown, "Lavi's becoming forgetful, I see. And geez, you make me sound old by callin' me miss. God, loosen up – it's Bryony."

Allen laughed, and ran a hand through his stark white hair in embarrassment. Bryony smiled jokingly at him, but then realised something. Where the hell was the other guy?

The other guy stood where he was, not showing any signs of welcome. He just glared and shook his ponytail back. Once his sword was back in its scabbard, he turned to leave. Allen grabbed the taller boy's jacket and yanked him back. It wasn't long before the sword was out again.

"What the hell was that for, Moyashi?" he growled, sword in hand.

Allen rolled his eyes, and dropped his previous polite tone, "It's Allen, idiot. And apologise for almost killing them."

* * *

"I didn't apologise last time."

"Well, last time, it was me. This time, it's two girls. Be nice."

"Che."

Kanda was not in the mood to humour Moyashi's wishes. He never was in the mood. Nevertheless, he turned back around, and faced the two new exorcists. The redhead re-sheathed those stupid daggers, and gave another smirk. God, she was annoying. The other girl, Japanese obviously, just looked from Moyashi back to him.

"He did the same thing to you?" she asked Moyashi.

Moyashi gave a sigh, and answered, "Oh yes. He came quite close to killing me. The idiot even damaged my Anti-Akuma weapon. Only when I told Komui about my referral letter was I spared – though I don't think I've ever been fully spared."

"Shut up, Moyashi," Kanda said, the vein in his temple throbbing. He re-sheathed Mugen, and crossed him arms. His narrowed eyes emitted many unvoiced threats.

"Don't expect any apologies. You two have scars, and the Gatekeeper picked up on it. This stupid Moyashi is cursed, and I won't be surprised if you two are as well. Just, stay away from me, _noroareteru_," he spat.

It was Lenalee who spoke after the three second silence.

"Kanda, don't be mean. If you can't say anything nice, then go and sleep - you've got a mission in a day. But you're always welcome to help with the tour if you feel like sticking around."

The Chinese girl stood on the stairs, with an annoyed expression. The clipboard in her hand was poised, ready to hit Kanda's head again. He didn't need to remind himself of Lenalee's strength every time a new recruit joined. Kanda's frowned deeper, and walked away to his room.

Two new exorcists? He would class this as one of the worst nights ever.

* * *

Once Kanda has gone, Manami followed Allen up the stairs to the petite girl, Lenalee. Her flowing green-black hair was tied into two long pigtails. Lenalee's ballet shoes clicked as she walked, her miniskirt swishing from side to side. Once the group got to the top, she faced them with bright amethyst eyes.

"Welcome to the Black Order! My name is Lenalee Lee, and I'm the Supervisor's assistant. I'm also an exorcist," Lenalee introduced herself.

Manami and Bryony said hello, then Manami added, "By the way, does the whole '_you're-a-spy-so-then-Kanda-san-will-come-and-kill-you_' ordeal happen often?"

Lenalee laughed, and replied, "Well, for special recruits, this seems to be the usual greeting."

-oOo -

**Again, it's kind of a trial to see if you guys like this parallel storyline of Aura-Readers. I'm only posting two chpater for now, and if I get a good response, then I will probablly tweak it a bit and repost. If anyone has any suggestions and constructive criticism, it would be really helpful. Sorry for the quick POV changes, I'll sort that out if it bothers you. **

**Noroareteru** – 'Cursed' or 'Cursed ones'  
**Katana **– a long and sleek Japanese sword  
**Wakizashi **– a short Japanese sword (wielded with the katana in this story)  
**Chokuto** – A medium sized Japanese sword


	2. Getting Used to the Madness

Getting Used to the Madness

Bryony lay on the bed of her new room. Though she wanted to sleep, considering she could only snatch a couple of hours, she thought about the past few hours.

* * *

**A few hours earlier...**

"That is so cool!" Manami exclaimed.

Bryony nodded in agreement. Allen was just explaining his Anti-Akuma weapon, his left arm. Apparently, it can change into three forms; Cross Alpha – the giant Claw and Cross Beta – which was the cannon Bryony had witnessed earlier, or it can be transformed into a sword. He described his 'Innocence' – whatever that was – as Parasitic. Bryony pondered this, and sifted through her knowledge. Since she had not had contact with Lavi and Bookman for about two years, Bryony had no idea about different 'types' of weapons, or this 'Innocence'. All she knew was that her two daggers were Anti-Akuma weapons, and pretty good ones at that.

Allen soon left, saying that the dining hall would soon close and he wanted a snack. Lenalee and the others bade him farewell, and she led them through the door labelled 'Science Department'. Inside was a man with wavy purple hair. A white beret rested on top of it, and glasses framed intelligent eyes. His coat bore a white Rose Cross, and was tailored similarly to the exorcists' uniforms. But an aura of madness burned intensely. Bryony grimaced – not another mad scientist.

"Hi there! My name is Komui Lee, and I'm the Black Order's Supervisor!" he greeted. Even though the clock read 1:46am, this guy sounded like he was at his peak.

"Hello!" Manami said brightly, bowing to the Supervisor. Bryony proceeded to shake his hand.

"So you were the person we were talking to through the bat," she said.

Komui nodded, and added, "It's not a bat, Bryony-chan! It's a golem, one of our surveillance equipment!"

"Mr. Lee, please refrain from using the 'chan' honorific with my name. We don't know each other that well," Bryony replied coolly, not missing the beat.

If the older man had actually heard that retort, he didn't show signs of it. He gestured the trio down stairs, apologizing about the mishap from before. All of a sudden, a roar of angry scientists was heard, shouting two different things:

"You can't blame us twice like that!"

"Clean your desk, Supervisor Komui!"

Bryony rolled her eyes. This man better know what he was doing.

* * *

Manami yawned as she walked. The beads of sleep crept through her eyes, making things blurry as she walked. Consequently, she tripped over a loose wire and banged her head on the stone wall when they came to the next door. The most sympathy Manami got for that was a smile from Lenalee-san, and a derogatory click of the tongue, paired with eye-rolling from Bryony-san. The red head seemed to be quite similar to Kanda-san.

"Please, could you demonstrate your Anti-Akuma weapons?" Komui-san asked when everyone entered the room. It was a small, white room which was filled with different equipment and medicine.

Manami whipped out her two swords, and whispered, "_Hatsudou_."

With the Japanese word for activation uttered, the swords glowed green. Even the intensive white ceiling lights dimmed to the sheer brightness. It attempted to escape, darting like lightning, but the force was restrained. After a few seconds, Manami deactivated. Komui-san and the other looked impressed. The Supervisor then indicated Bryony-san to invocate.

Bryony uttered no words when she activated her daggers, but the effect was similar. Manami noticed that unlike her swords' lightning like powers, Bryony-san's daggers seemed to blaze like a fire. The green flames licked the edges of the blade, pushing the boundaries of their freedom. She deactivated, and twirled the daggers back into their holsters. Lenalee-san gave another smile, and Komui-san grinned in approval.

"Wow, both of your Anti-Akuma weapons are quite amazing!" Komui-san said, "I see they are both Equipment type."

Bryony started to speak, "Say, Mr. Lee-"

"Just Komui is fine, Bryony-chan!"

"Don't call me – never mind. What I wanted to ask was; what are these types you talk about? I mean, Allen told us his is a Parasitic and you just said Equipment."

"Well, it is how the Innocence is utilised as a weapon. If it is Parasitic, then the Innocence is embedded into part of your body – like Allen-kun's arm. Equipment types are when a special weapon must be made to encase the Innocence, to control it – like Kanda-kun's Mugen."

At the name of that_ chokuto_, Manami flinched. She had seen what he could do with that sword, and that was probably not all. Manami then asked her question, "What is Innocence?"

Lenalee piped up at that, and said to Komui, "Wait, that means you're going to Hevlaska's now, right? Shouldn't you check that they are human?"

Komui shook his head and said, "Don't worry. Only humans can be blessed by God this way."

"Blessed?" Manami asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"It will all make sense when we visit Hevlaska."

* * *

"Alaska, Alaska, we're going to Alaska!" Manami chanted.

Bryony rubbed her temple with her index and middle finger, trying to rid herself of that idiotic tune Manami kept repeating. It was driving her up the wall. What Bryony wanted the most was rest. Though she wasn't a Bookman, Gramps had taught her to tune her mind to every last detail. It wasn't hard for her, until the headaches started. Watching so many different colours of aura pass by every minute was like watching bright fireworks all day. Bryony pinched the bridge of her nose – without some rest, she really wouldn't absorb (or really wouldn't be bothered to absorb) the upcoming information about Innocence.

A hand in front of her told Bryony to stop. She consented, and allowed Komui to take Manami onto the elevator. Bryony waited with Lenalee, who kept checking her clipboard every two minutes. A soft sigh escaped the Chinese girl's lips, and she proceeded to smile at Bryony. Her fingers were playing with the long sleeve of her uniform, and a nervous aura danced.

"It seems that you two are really special," Lenalee started, "Already having Innocence weapons and having those special eyes is amazing. Are you sure you haven't had any contact with the Black Order before?"

Bryony shook her head and said, "No, not really. I've only been to the outside of this building, to see Bookman and Lavi off. I didn't meet anyone, and I kept no contacts with the two when I was travelling. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason!" Lenalee said frantically, the aura strengthening, "It's just that…you look…you look like you've been-"

"Bryony-chan!" the older Lee's voice interjected, ascending on the lift, "You may come in now!"

Lenalee's face was red for some reason. Bryony put it to what she was trying to say. She silently passed Manami as she stepped onto the elevator. It took her down to a huge room, with a panel of hooded figures seated. They explained to Bryony that Innocence was 'The Crystal of God'. 109 pieces of Innocence were scattered around the world, and only exorcists had the power to wield them. It was also exorcists' job to collect Innocence as well as exterminate Akuma. Bryony touched her daggers. Were they that special? Did they truly contain a Crystal of God?

Bryony then noticed the huge white being. She was so amazed, that no words sprung to mind to describe it.

"Bryony-chan, meet Hevlaska," Komui introduced, "She is an exorcist, albeit a very special one."

Bryony peered up at Hevlaska, and was confused. She could not be human, as she had no aura. What was she then? All the questions dropped out of her head, however, when milky arms lifted her off the ground. They hauled her up to Hevlaska's eye level, and started to wrap around Bryony's daggers.

"Hey! What- stop! Komui, what is the meaning of this?" Bryony yelled.

Hevlaska touched Bryony's forehead. All of a sudden, she felt a searching sensation. It was running through her body like an electric shock, gaining velocity as time went by. The feeling was uncomfortable to say the least, and she kept squirming. Hevlaska paid no attention and continued her search. What was she looking for?

"10%...28%...37%...49%...53%...62%...74%..."Hevlaska counted, "Your Synchronization Rate is 74%. That is the maximum power that your Innocence can achieve."

Bryony felt too weak to register this information. The process drained her energy, but somehow she understood what she was being told. If she pushes her synchronization too far, she would risk her own life. Hevlaska brushed Bryony's bangs aside, uncovering her right eye. Her scar was revealed, and she put a finger to it. Bryony felt a surge go through her head, like a lightning strike. She squeezed her eyes shut and struggled harder, trying to rid herself to that feeling. It stopped after a few seconds and Bryony opened her eyes. A glowing green cube floated in front of her. It spun around her neck a couple of times and then shot into her hand.

The effect was instantaneous. The cube became molten, and started to reshape. Bryony squinted from the burning light, unable to see the form. Finally, the light died down enough to see. Hevlaska set her down gently on the elevator, with Bryony still holding the twisting shape. The Innocence had transformed into a bow. It was as black as night, with swirling silver patterns running down it. The bowstring was barely visible, and Bryony didn't believe it was there until she ran her finger down it. A green cross was embedded in the centre of the bow.

Bryony looked at Hevlaska and asked, "Why? Why do I have another one?"

Hevlaska answered in her smooth voice, "You have been blessed by God with the power of Aura-Reading. That eye can perceive more than the regular mortals. It has reinforced your body to withstand two Innocence fragments."

"What is so special about my Innocence?" Bryony asked.

"It will play a mighty part in the life of the Destroyer of Time. Both Aura Readers will face challenges that will force you to bond with your Innocence to create a fearsome weapon. When that time comes, you will be faced with a decision, Bryony," Hevlaska prophesied.

Silence rang through the room. After a while, Komui started clapping his hands like a little child.

He started speaking eagerly, "Oh wonderful! You and Manami-chan were given the same prophecy! Hevlaska has never been wrong, you know! Wow, it sounds so mysteri-ugh!"

He narrowly dodged the fist to his head. Bryony seethed with annoyance. Why was he so excited? That didn't sound wonderful at all! She ran a hand through her hair and straightened her coat. Her mind was analyzing the information like a machine. A bond? She didn't think Gramps would be too pleased about that.

"Pray tell," Bryony said, fighting to keep anger out of her voice, "Who is this Destroyer of Time?"

Komui instantly became serious. He pushed his glasses up and began, "That was the part I was most afraid of. The Destroyer of Time is Allen Walker. Hevlaska had prophesied that he will forge a great weapon in the world's darkest hour. Now, how you and Manami fit into this, I have no idea."

Bryony forgot all her anger, and asked, "Hevlaska said I will create a fearsome weapon. When will I know this?"

At that moment, the bow in her hand shrunk down. It became a black necklace with a pendant of a silver angel wing hanging from it. Bryony looked in wonder. What else can this Innocence do?

Komui smiled sympathetically. "To answer your question; we have to let time run its course."

* * *

Manami paced up and down, waiting for Bryony-san to come back up. She tried talking to Lenalee-san, but she kept stopping mid-sentence. Obviously she was trying to say something, but it was not going well for her. Eventually, the elevator came back up.

"Bryony-san!" Manami exclaimed. "Well? Did you get another one?"

Bryony-san nodded and pointed to her necklace. Manami grinned and shook the bangles on her wrists. They activated, covering her white gloves with red. They wrapped around her forearm like ribbons and wisps of energy fluttered like sails. She deactivated and waited for Bryony-san to activate.

_Not now. I'm tired. And stop calling me Bryony-san. Plain Bryony is just fine._

Manami rolled her eyes.

_Okay, fine. Hey, have you noticed that we can't see each other's aura?_

_I have, actually. Maybe our powers cancel each other out?_

_Maybe…_

Lenalee-san looked from one girl to the other. Manami smiled apologetically, knowing that her mind conversation had gone on for too long. She parted way with the other Aura-Reader and allowed Lenalee-san to guide her to her room. The doors all looked the same. Manami felt uncomfortable. With her track record of getting lost, there was no doubt she would end up in someone else's room. Once Manami was handed the key, the Chinese girl bade her farewell.

Immediately, she dumped her suitcase on the floor and jumped onto the bed. She pried her bandanna off, undid her corset and played with a knot in her brown hair. The room was quite barren, save for a window on the far side. A soft knock caught Manami's wandering attention. She was loosening her blue ribbon when she saw Allen-san at the door.

"Oh, Allen-san! I didn't know you were still awake!" Manami said, surprised.

"No, I just woke up because I could hear Lenalee's voice up the corridor," he said.

Allen's clothes proved evidence. He was wearing a white loose shirt and pants, which were crumpled from sleep.

"Well, welcome to the Black Order, neighbour. It is quite alright to just call me Allen, seen as you won't let me call you Miss," he said warmly.

"_Arigato gozaimasu_, Allen! I feel welcome!" Manami said with a grin.

"Be warned," Allen said, caution coating his British accent, "It will take time to get used to the madness."

-oOo -

**Okay, that is as much as I am posting until I'm fairly certain that this story will be a success. By the way, this one will focus on Bryony more than Manami. If this becomes really successful, I'll do a sequel. First, I need to know whether this is a good plot or a waste of time! So reviews - nice ones, con crit ones, flames - absolutely anything; it will determine the future of this story!**

**Hatsudou **– 'Activate'  
**Arigato gozaimasu** – 'Thank you very much'


	3. Akage

**I thought I would 'treat' you to another chapter, since I got Story Alerts! I hope you like it.**

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* * *

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Akage

Kanda picked at his favourite soba noodles, stifling every yawn that dared to pass by. Whoever came in next door wouldn't sleep until the first rays of the sun filtered through. After ten minutes of blissful sleep, the noise started up again. He was not in the mood at that time to slaughter whoever had had the nerve to constantly cause a racket, so he had just sighed and gone to the forest to practice. Annoyed at his own thoughts, Kanda rubbed his dark eyes. There it was again, that stupid red hair.

He studied the new recruit, who had just entered the dining hall. Her red hair, which chillingly reminded Kanda of blood, was cut short and her long bangs covered her right eye. The eye that wasn't covered shone emerald. As he peered closer, Kanda noticed that her lashes were not red, but black. That was why her eyes stood out so much. The long tail coat from last night was not in sight. Instead, she wore a blue and black striped shirt with a black tie. An undone waistcoat hung over dark trousers, which were covered with knee height boots. Her pale fingers were being run through her hair, black fingerless gloves covering the rest of her hands. He also noticed a necklace that wasn't there the last time. What was her name again? Oh yeah; it was Bryony. She was accompanied by the other girl, Manami, who was wearing the same attire as yesterday.

As though the red head knew that someone was watching her, she scanned the hall. Kanda hastily dropped his vision to his meal. If she found him staring at her, and if she was anything like her brother Lavi, she would never let him live it down.

Better just concentrate on the soba. It was way more interesting than Bryony, that's for sure.

* * *

Bryony covered up another yawn, and stretched her arms, taking care not to expose her arms. She felt sorry for the people staying next to her. She knew that with her insomnia, restlessness came packaged. It was daylight before she grabbed ten minutes of sleep. But that was all her mind allowed. Her routine was so hammered into her that she couldn't sleep a wink past sunrise. She had just sighed and started her yoga stretches.

Manami had appeared down the corridor, and seemed happy to see a familiar face. She explained her dilemma; she was utterly lost. The dining hall was her destination, but it was a true challenge to get there. Bryony had rolled her eyes and proceeded to walk with her to breakfast. Upon walking into the huge hall, various smells of food greeted her. As she walked to the counter, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She knew someone was looking at her. With a quick scan, Bryony found the culprit. It was Kanda, who was looking at his meal as if it was fascinating. There was no denying it – it was definitely Kanda. His aura betrayed him, being the colour of panic. The girl smirked. How she had gotten the indifferent samurai to panic, she had no idea.

All her thoughts were blown away when a man wearing sunglasses stuck his head into Bryony's personal space. Instinctively, she stepped back and narrowed her eyes. The man just laughed, swinging his twin braids. His aura was pink with radiant love. Bryony stared, incredibly confused by the explosion of happy colours.

The man started gushing, "Why, what a cutie! My name's Jerry! What can I make for you? You look like an eggs person! What do you think? Scrambled? Fried? Boiled? Omelette? Speak up, darlin', I don't know what you want!"

Bryony held her nerve and attempted to decipher the situation. This man Jerry was obviously the cook, and was asking what she wanted to eat. That was simple enough – but what did she actually want to eat? In all her travels, the choice of food was limited, so she had never acquired a taste for anything. Whatever was available, she would eat.

"Erm, can I have two buttered croissants with cappuccino, fourteen sugars?" she asked tentatively.

"Ooh, you have a sweet tooth when it comes to coffee!"Jerry beamed. He turned to Manami, who was a bit more prepared than Bryony.

"_Ohayo gozaimasu_, Jerry-san! I'll take steamed rice with _tamagoyaki_, please," she said brightly.

"Oh, how polite!" Jerry said, "Another Japanese eater! Your orders will be ready momentarily, sweeties!"

After receiving their breakfast, the pair was stuck with finding a table. Bryony observed that no one was sitting on Kanda's table, but she had no desire to either. Prussian blue, the colour of moodiness, was emanating in tendrils. Next to the solitary samurai's table was a familiar face. Thank God, it was Lenalee. Bryony indicated to the seats, and Manami eagerly sat next to the other female exorcist.

Bryony set her plate and coffee mug next to a mound of food. She turned, trying to see why there was a mountain of food just sat there. Suddenly, the mountain began to move! Lenalee clicked her tongue, and talked to the mound.

"Allen-kun! At least stop eating long enough to see who have joined," she scolded softly.

"Nmph?" Allen's head popped out the dishes, mitarashi dango still stuffed in his mouth.

His silver eyes widened as he saw the two other girls that had come. The food in his mouth immediately disappeared and a kind smile graced his face. Bryony felt instantly cheered up by the warm aura around him. It was nice to know that not everyone was a vicious killer like Kanda. God, why was she still thinking about him? It would be better for her own sanity if Kanda was never mentioned again for the rest of the day.

That vow was instantly broken when a certain hyper Japanese girl greeted a certain sour Japanese man.

"_Ohayo gozaimasu_, Kanda-san! That soba looks good!" Manami called across the table.

Kanda turned to her with a dark face, snatched his sword up and stood to leave. Before he walked past the table, he turned to Manami. The girl's eye seemed to twitch under his glare, though the rest of her face remained cheery. Her empathy thoughts confirmed her true feelings.

_Oh no, he's going to kill me. Can you take revenge if he does?_

"Che, I'm not an old man. Don't call me 'san', Arai. You're too polite," Kanda stated in the most bored voice ever.

"Just call me Manami, Kanda!" Manami responded, oblivious to the intended insult.

Bryony seized her chance to take a proper look at Kanda. His ridiculously long raven hair was tied into a high ponytail, leaving two strands to frame his face. Long straight cut bangs peppered stern stormy gray eyes. His exorcist's uniform had a wide collar and almost reached his feet. Bryony noticed a small beaded bracelet around his left wrist.

Kanda noticed her scrutiny and fixed his gaze on her. Bryony blinked, confused; usually, being able to read someone's aura meant that it was easier to figure one out. With this guy, it seemed harder. The overall essence was dark, but the colours swirled so much that it hurt Bryony to look. This was interesting – very interesting indeed.

"If you're finished staring at me, _Akage_," Kanda growled.

Now Bryony was _really_ confused.

* * *

Kanda was really beginning to hate that red hair. Lavi, another red head, was already one source of annoyance. To see two of them snapped Kanda's nerve. The word slipped from his tongue before he'd even registered the use.

"Akage?" she said, "Did you really mean that?"

Her tone had become silky smooth. Kanda was not stupid (no matter what anyone else said); he knew danger signs when he saw them. Her eye had hardened, but her speech was soft. Any idiot could see that the girl was going to pick a fight.

"Yes, I meant it," Kanda retorted, "I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

"Wait a minute," Manami said, "One of my servants was called Akage. She was Chinese. Her grandmother had named her that for her red hair and the red sunset. What are you trying to say, Kanda?"

At the mention of 'the red sunset', Moyashi started laughing so hard that he started choking on air. Whilst Lenalee thumped him on the back, Bryony and Kanda looked at Manami in confusion. The younger Japanese girl just smiled and nodded her head. Moyashi regained his breath, and spoke between sniggers.

"Kanda, why did you call her a 'red sunset'? I never knew you were the flirtatious type!"

Moyashi barely dodged Mugen swinging to his neck, the blade singing in its wake. The motion, though, caused him to fall off the seat. Kanda scoffed, taking that as a victory. But apparently, it wasn't enough payment. He grabbed the scruff of the shorter teen's coat and hauled him up to eye level.

"You call me that again, Moyashi, and we'll see just how small your brain really is," Kanda spat.

Akage smirked, and said, "As much fun as this is, I'm afraid that I must burst the bubble. 'Akage' is a derogatory word meaning 'red head'. I think your servant's grandmother was not aware of the meaning, unfortunately. Now, put Allen down, Kanda – I'm pretty sure he won't call you flirtatious again."

"Che."

Kanda kept his hold around Moyashi's throat. Like hell he was going to take orders from a newbie. Akage frowned as stepped towards the two. As quick as lightning, her hand shot out and grabbed Kanda's. Did she have a death wish? It squeezed the hand restraining Moyashi, and Kanda inwardly winced. God, Akage had a ferocious grip. The fingers kept digging into his pressure point until Moyashi was deposited on the floor, none too gently. Kanda's hand muscles were screaming, but he has too much of a reputation to show the pain. There was only one thought running through his head – _What the hell?_

"I asked you to let go of him," Akage said quietly, slipping a piece of venom into every word, "Why did you not listen? Why did you force me to use violence?"

"I don't take orders from anyone but Komui. Get used to it, Akage," Kanda replied.

"You had better not call me that name again."

"Or what?"

"Now, now, why would I threaten you? It's a lot more fun to carry out the deed than to throw empty words."

"Che, you talk too much, Akage."

"There it is again. _My name is Bryony_."

All the raised tones had resulted in all eyes in the dining hall on the arguing pair. Kanda realized that Akage still had an iron clutch on his hand. Snatching it away, he spoke a few parting words.

"Listen here," he hissed, "I've seen exorcists come and go. Your type will be lucky to survive the first mission. If you don't die within a month, I might consider learning your name."

And with that, Kanda stormed out of the stunned dining hall.

* * *

Not long after, Bryony emerged from breakfast, accompanied with Manami. She softly grabbed a fistful of hair and sighed. She had never intended to make a rival out of Kanda, but it seemed inevitable. That guy was just God curst aggravating. She felt like punching through a brick wall after that dispute. Akage, indeed!

_It looks like he pushed your buttons, Bryony-chan._

_Don't call me 'chan'. I'm not that close to you. He may have won that battle, but the war rages on._

_Wait, so this is a war now?_

_Whatever. God, I never thought I'd have to use_ Kyusho Jutsu _on my first day._

_Well, it worked! I could also see his aura in pain. Did you mean to hurt him that much?_

_No, as a matter of fact, I – wait. What was that?_

_What?_

Bryony had spotted a wisp of red hair disappearing down the long corridor. She clenched her teeth – it was all too obvious who that was. She immediately took off in a sprint, Manami keeping up but becoming increasingly perplexed. Once Bryony had turned the corner, her target had turned to see who was tearing down the hall so fast.

His crimson hair stuck up wildly, some of the strands resting on the green bandanna keeping it all up. A black eye-patch covered his right eye, and his green left eye glittered mischievously. If one was to describe this tall boy with piercings and a long, orange scarf, one would definitely call him a pirate. But no, he was an exorcist. Then again, he was more than that – he was Lavi, Bookman Junior and also Bryony's older brother.

"Br-Bryony?" Lavi asked. His eye shone even brighter and a huge grin plastered his face.

The same could not be said about Bryony. She ground her teeth, and clenched her fists. It seemed that fire was emanating from her eye. Lavi's smile shrunk a little, sensing the tension.

"Lavi…" Bryony said quietly, radiating fury, "You…bastard…"

_WHACK!_ Bryony tackled her brother to the ground. After some scuffling, Lavi was pinned to the floor with a boot pressing his face into the stone. An odd strangled noise was coming out of his mouth, much to the glee of Bryony. She spoke through a sadistic grin, kicking him with every sentence.

"You really are the king of idiots! – _KICK!_ – Has your damn brain become so small – _KICK!_ – that you can't remember your own sister? I got freaking attacked by a sword happy – _KICK!_ – maniac because of you! – _KICK!_"

The last kick was delivered with extra violence, mostly because Bryony was thinking about Kanda again. She stepped back, panting slightly from her rant. Lavi just gave a weak, apologetic smile. Damn it – that little sincere smile that he gives to say sorry makes her soft. Although, she was allowed to be soft with him – they're related! Bryony sighed and helped Lavi to his feet.

"Man, I'm gonna feel those kicks in the morning," he said, "You learn that on your journey?"

The younger sister gave a small smile before she was subject to a bone crushing hug. She punched his shoulder affectionately when he ruffled her hair. Bryony's grin gained another millimetre. She liked 'Lavi'. He was a lot more laidback than the others.

"It wasn't something I learned, but I could always show you what I did in a one-on-one," Bryony said.

It was only then that Bryony noticed Manami. She just stood there, with a shell-shocked look on her face. Bryony almost laughed at her state – it was the same mouth agape expression everyone wore when they saw Lavi and her fighting. Lavi seemed to notice her too, because he instantly zoomed over and got right into her face. Bryony smacked a palm to her face. God, sometimes it was really hard to admit that she really _was_ related to that guy.

"Hi! The name's Lavi! Some people call me Junior, cuz I'm a Bookman Junior! Did you know that you're really pretty? What's your name?" Lavi said, bouncing up and down like a rabbit.

She's really pretty? Bryony closed her eyes in despair, and waited for the shout.

"Strike!"

Yeah, that was it.

* * *

Manami tilted her head in confusion. Strike? Lavi-san's usage of English was peculiar. Nevertheless, Manami bowed, gave a smile and introduced herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bryony repeatedly whacking the wall. Lavi bowed and then shook her hand vigorously, almost taking it out of its socket.

"Manami, that's a sweet name! 'Manami' can either mean 'affectionate beauty' or 'love sea'. Judging by the attire, you're the sea one, am I right?"

Manami agreed. Most of her life was spent on the water, ever since her parents had to flee Japan because of the Millennium Earl. A nostalgic glaze covered her eyes. What was Kyoto like? Were her aunt and uncle still in Nagasaki? She was brought back to earth when Lavi clicked his fingers in front of her eyes. She blinked in surprise, mostly because Lavi had been hit again.

"You don't do that to someone you just met!" Bryony yelled, "And what was with the 'Strike!'? You ain't goin' after her!"

Lavi held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, truce!" he said, "I just said that cuz she is pretty, there's no denyin' it."

"_Arigato_, Lavi-san," Manami quickly said before Bryony hit him, "No one has ever called me pretty before, it is quite flattering."

Lavi threw on a huge smile of victory. Bryony just shook her head and helped Lavi stand again. Manami smiled too. It must be nice for Bryony to have a sibling. Manami was an only child, and she hardly ever got to play with her cousins. She was particularly close to her cousin Tatsuya though, who was a master at archery. Manami always had more skill with swords, and that had got her here today.

_Don't let that comment get to your head, Manami. Lavi's just a pervert._

The thought almost sent Manami into tears of laughter. She watched Bryony and Lavi talk with intent. Bryony acted so different with her brother – she smiled more and her body relaxed. She could see their family resemblance…or could she? Manami peered closer, and studied each detail. Bryony's hair and eyes were darker than Lavi's and Lavi had red lashes. She couldn't tell what race Lavi was, but Bryony was blatantly European.

The two siblings…actually didn't look like siblings at all.

* * *

"So, how old are you?" Lavi said, hands behind his head as the trio walked down the corridor.

"Fourteen, Lavi-san," Manami replied. Lavi's eyes widened.

_Manami Arai._

_Japanese._

_Fourteen years old._

_Definitely noble._

"Fourteen? Geez, with that scar, ya look way older! But you're cute, so it doesn't matter!" he said.

"I never asked, Bryony – how old are you?" Manami asked.

_Likes to ask questions. Curious mind._

"Sixteen," Bryony said simply. Lavi noticed that she was back on high alert.

They soon parted with Manami, since she wanted to make a map of the Order.

_Can get lost easily._

Lavi continued walking in silence with his sister. The signature grin had dropped, and he took off his 'Lavi' mask. Lavi started to walk with more purpose, mirroring Bryony. She turned and surveyed the change.

"How much recorded?" she asked.

Lavi smirked. "What? You think I've lost touch?"

Bryony stopped walking and faced him. They stared in silence in the empty corridor. Lavi became suddenly serious.

"It doesn't matter how much I've recorded. What matters is that she has spotted," he said.

Bryony nodded. "So you did see. And here I was thinking you'd forgotten your duties."

The siblings started to walk again, and Lavi fell into deep thought. It was true that he was glad that Bryony had finally joined, but even he had to be careful of her hawk like eyes. When the various masks slipped, it was Bryony who noticed first. She would reprimand him; tell him to focus on recording. He admired her determination to protect him.

Yes, Lavi was proud of his adopted sister, Bryony – Bookman Protector turned exorcist.

* * *

**OMAKE**

Lavi stifled a snigger when he heard Bryony's absurd nickname for the first time. There was no way in hell he was going to let the opportunity slip from him. He spotted Bryony walking alongside Yuu, obviously bickering about something. He smiled mischievously, and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Oi, Yuu! Akage!"

Wait for it…

The pair spun around with the most furious yet priceless faces.

"Don't call me that, you stupid rabbit!" they said in unison.

* * *

**This was kind of just a filler chapter. The real action begins in the next one, with Manami's and Bryony's first mission. Oh, what is Bookman Protector, you ask? All will be revealed later. By the way, the italics in Lavi's POV was him recording. Hope you liked it and reviews are great things to receive! Random info: On Friday, I went to see Paramore in concert, and today I went to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1! Both were EPIC! :) **

**Kyusho Jutsu** – Pressure Point fighting  
**Ohayo gozaimasu** – 'Good morning'  
**Tamagoyaki **– Rolled omelette


End file.
